Return of the Storm
by moihaha16
Summary: Set a few years after my first story, Comfort after the Storm
1. Bail

"So, it's been five years, to the day, since Miranda was born?" Miranda asked. Her and Leonard were sitting in a diner, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people trying to make it back to work before lunch break was over.

"Yep. It's been five years." Leonard confirmed, still amazed it had been that long.

"Has Penny realized yet that..?" Miranda didn't need to finish her question for Leonard to know what she was talking about.

"No. And I hope she never will." Leonard answered. Suddenly, everything was total blackout. He woke up.

* * *

Leonard sprang up, still shocked at his dream. Penny stirred beside him. "What's wrong?" She wondered sleepily.

"Nothing. Go back to bed." Leonard tried his absolute best to sound unafraid, but knew Penny wouldn't buy it.

"Ok. Tell me. I'm not going back to bed, and I won't hesitate to wake up Miranda and give her sugar..." Penny threatened, knowing he couldn't hear her bluff. She was sitting up in bed now, hoping to hear the story. She handed Leonard his glasses from his side table and looked at him, willing him to go on.

"It's really nothing. I just had another Miranda dream. I talked to her. Then everything faded to black. There was a pile of money, and a bail notice. Then I woke up." Leonard explained, hoping Penny wouldn't get the same vibe he did from the dream.

"What do you mean?" Penny asked, trying to soak up the fear leaking from her voice. Leonard looked away, trying not to look her in the eyes.

"Penny, Adam called me a few hours ago. Someone posted bail. He's free." Leonard chose his words carefully, but he still knew Penny would freak out. Penny was quiet. Leonard looked over, knowing everything he would say would trigger a reaction. Penny got up, switching on the light. She opened the door, and walked into the hall. Leonard followed her, realizing she had gone into Miranda's room. Penny was grabbing everything she could, throwing it into a bag. She left the room, going back into their bedroom and doing the same thing. Penny placed both bags in the head of Miranda's bedroom door.

"We need to leave!" Penny's breaths were getting shallow, and she ran over to Miranda's bed. "We're not safe here!" Leonard ran over, trying to calm her down. He picked up Miranda, while Penny grabbed both bags, following closely behind. They left, placing Miranda in her car seat and driving to the police station.


	2. Calls

"What now?" Penny asked. Miranda was still asleep, their car sitting in the police station parking lot. "We can't just go in and say we were 'scared'".

"That's true. What about calling Howard and Bernadette?" Leonard suggested. "We could have a watch on the house."

"I don't want to wake them up." Penny admitted. There was a silence for a minuet. "Why didn't you tell me about the bail?" Leonard froze, reconsidering his idea. He hated keeping things from Penny.

"I didn't want you to not feel safe again. We were finally in a good place. We had found steady ground. I didn't want to shake it." Leonard explained. Penny simply nodded. She unbuckled her seatbelt, opening her car door.

"We should go in." Penny suggested. Leonard agreed, not letting Penny out of the car until he had an opportunity to leave with her. He picked up Miranda, handed Penny the bags, and they went inside.

"Is Adam here?" Leonard asked one of the men walking around. He stopped, seeming confused.

"Yeah sure? I'll let him know you're here. What are your names?" The young man asked. His badge read officer Burman.

"Just tell him Leonard and Penny are here." Leonard instructed. Officer Burman nodded, running off with a seemly sudden understanding. He pointed to three chairs on the wall to the left of them. They sat down, and Leonard handed Miranda to Penny. Adam ran past the desks, signaling them to follow him. They did, entering his office. A wave of panic rushed over Penny. She suddenly realized how real this all was. She wasn't safe again.

"What are we going to do?" Penny asked frantically. She was trying to keep herself quiet, mainly because Miranda was still asleep.

"I suggest your daughter stay with friends or relatives for a few days, for one. Is there anyone you could call?" Adam told them. Penny's breathing shallowed, and she froze at the possibility Miranda wouldn't be safe.

"Is what's best?" Leonard asked, sensing Penny's flashbacks of the same feelings. Adam nodded. "Ok, I'll call Howard. I hate to wake them up, but this is important." Leonard took out his phone, and stepped out in the hallway. He looked for Howard's contact, and dialed called him. The ringing stopped after a few rings. "Howard?"

"Yeah. What's up? It's midnight." Howard sounded scared, but mainly tired.

"Listen, don't worry, but we're going to have to have Miranda come over to your house for a few days." Leonard hoped Howard would sense the urgency in his voice.

"Ok... Where are you?" Howard's keys jingled in the background, and the sound of his door opening.

"The police station." Leonard told him, trying to sound less urgent.

"Why?" Howard sounded fully awake, and confused. "Is everything ok?" Howard's car started.

"Well..." Leonard took a deep breath, holding the phone against his chest. "Penny's rapist was let out on bail." The other end of the phone was completely silent, except for the sound of a car running.

"I'll be there in a minuet." Howard said with a clear sense of urgency. His phone wrang a few minuets later, with Howard saying he was in the parking lot. Leonard reopened the door to Adam's office, finding Miranda awake on Penny's lap.

"What's going on?" Miranda asked, sounding sleepy, rubbing her eyes.

"Nothing, sweetie. You're just going to go to Uncle Howard and Aunt Bernadette's for a few days. You get to play with Brooklyn and Nina!" He exclaimed, trying to get her excited. Nina and Brooklyn were the girls Howard and Bernadette adopted a few years after Miranda was born. They were nine and eight.

"Ok." Miranda didn't seem too off put by this idea. She got off of Penny's lap, and Penny handed Leonard Miranda's bag. He carried the bag to the front doors, calling Howard before going outside.

"Ok, we're at the front doors. I'll help you buckle her in." Leonard told him.

"Sounds good." Howard agreed. They hung up, and Leonard and Howard did as they planned, strapping her into Brooklyn, the younger one's car seat. And they left.

* * *

"Ok. Now I want you guys to stay low for a few days. Trust me, Miranda will be safer at a friends. If, in the rare case he does seek you out, he will either go to your home, or here. They most likely won't know about your friends, so she's safer there. And they won't be targeting her. She is as safe as possible. Any questions?" Adam finished.

"Where are we going to go?" Leonard asked. Adam looked over his paper work.

"The Chine, it's a hotel a few miles from here. You'll never leave your rooms, and will have police protection 24/7." Adam informed them. "The car will take you there in a few minuets."


	3. Pink DS

"We need to talk." Howard said sternly. It had been four hours since he had picked Miranda up from the police station, and he had spent the entire time thinking. "Bernadette?" He gently shook his wife, and she shot up.

"What's wrong?" She asked, the worry clear in her voice.

"Penny's rapist was let off on bail." Howard informed her. The room was silent, the same silence that had occurred when Leonard had told Howard of the situation.

"What are they going to do?" Bernadette asked quietly.

"Leonard told me to pick up Miranda, so I did. She's in Brooklyn's room." Howard explained. "I put her on the bottom bunk." Bernadette nodded.

"What awful timing. It's Miranda's birthday." Bernadette told him. Howard laughed, having not realized.

"I guess it is."

* * *

"So I guess this is it." Penny announced, standing in the middle of the hotel room. Apparently, the hotel was a cover for people like them. Leonard had the feeling something was off, but he ignored it. He hadn't felt that way in five years, and he didn't like it. He kept the feeling to himself, urging it to go away. They both sat on the bed, trying to absorb the situation. "Do you think Miranda is up yet?" The clock read seven thirty four.

"Probably. Stop worrying about her. It'll be ok." Leonard assured her, while also trying to assure himself.

"What if he finds her? What if he finds us?" Penny asked nervously.

"If he finds us, there is security. He doesn't care to find Miranda. She isn't his target, if he has one." Leonard re- explained. "We, and Miranda, are safe." Penny couldn't hold in her tears any longer.

"I can't live without her. I can't go on knowing she isn't one hundred percent safe! That's why we're here! To make sure she's safe!" Penny exclaimed.

"I know you have a lot of questions right now, but you have to trust me she is safe." Leonard informed her.

* * *

"Good morning girls!" Bernadette greeted as the three girls entered the kitchen. They each sat at one of the spots with pancakes.

"Thanks Aunt Bernadette!" Miranda said.

"Thanks Mom!" Brooklyn and Nina chimed.

"Yep. Nina and Brooklyn, you both have ten minuets. Dad's going to take you to school today." Bernadette explained. "Miranda, your dad wanted me to give this to you." Bernadette slid a present, wrapped with a red ribbon, toward Miranda. She squealed, trying to tear at the bow. It was quickly on the other side of the room. The box opened, revealing a pink DS with three games: Mario Kart, Mario Party and Animal Crossing. Bernadette didn't say anything about the note he had given to her:

_To distract her. Don't tell her anything about what's going on. We went on vacation. In Hawaii. Thank you so much, Leonard and Penny_

Bernadette hated lying to Miranda, but she didn't really have a choice. She couldn't help wondering where they were. What would happen? Could Miranda continue living a normal life? Could any of them?

* * *

There was a knock on the door of the hotel room a few days later. They were both bored out of their minds, and Penny had decided to take a shower. Leonard heard the secret knock, opening it after checking the peep hole, and seeing a uniformed officer. He let him in. He lead Leonard to a group of chairs in the corner.

"Where's Penny?" The officer asked.

"What's wrong?" Leonard countered. The man took a deep breath, as if he wanted to procrastinate the information as long as he could.

"They can't find your daughter." Leonard knew the man said more than that, but he had stopped listening. He, for the first time in his life, had completely zoned out. _What would I tell Penny? Why do these things always happen to us? Why didn't we demand Miranda came with them? What if... What if they find her... _Leonard wouldn't let that last thought sink into his system. The water stopped.

"I can't tell Penny. She won't be able to handle it." Leonard told him.

"She has to know." The officer said.

"Has to know what?" Penny was now standing in the middle of the room, sporting a white hotel robe. "Leonard, what's wrong?" Penny's tone became more frantic, as she walked closer to the two. She had stopped towel drying her hair, joining the two in the corner. "I said." Penny's voice grew more aggressive. "What's going on."

"Miranda isn't with Howard and Bernadette." Leonard did his best to phrase those words, the ones he didn't want to say. The words he didn't want to be true.


	4. Ice Cream

Penny didn't say anything for a long time. What could she say? Her thoughts all came at once. _Miranda was safe? I guess she wasn't. _Those were the only two things she could think about.

"I'm going to leave you alone. Let me know if you want something."

"I want my daughter." Penny said under her breath. Leonard wraped his arms around her. "We vowed to protect her."

"I know. You did your best." A oh- so- familiar voice said. "Sometimes things are just supposed to happen.

"Miranda, you can't understand. You're not a parent." Penny snapped.

"Oh, but I do. I know everything you're thinking." Miranda told her.

"Is she ok?" Leonard asked. Miranda shook her head.

"You know the rules. I can't tell you, remember?" Miranda explained.

"Why? Why would this sick creep want my daughter? Hasn't he done enough to us?" Penny exclaimed. She didn't try to stop the tears streaming down her face.

"I want you guys to know it wasn't Howard, or Bernadette's fault this happened. Miranda wasn't under her care at the time. She was at preschool. Someone picked her up. It's all going to be ok." Miranda tried to assure them. "I'm doing everything I can." The room was silent for a few minuets.

"Can you answer a question?" Leonard asked.

"Depends. Shoot." Miranda replied.

"Why do these things always happen to us? Why couldn't there be a few years of just plain happiness. You know Miranda will never be the same bubbly girl she wa..." Leonard started to rant, stopping himself. He suddenly realized who he was talking to. This girl was fourteen when she committed suicide. She was just a baby. She never experienced driving. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. Listen. I've been told I can tell you one thing, but then I have to leave. For a month. Do you still want to hear it?" Miranda bargained. Leonard and Penny looked at each other for a minuet. This very well could be the one thing that brings Miranda back safely.

"What is it?" Leonard asked carefully.

"It's only two words. Ice. Cream." Miranda said, almost in a whisper. Then she vanished.

"Ice cream?" Penny sounded confused.

"Miranda is lactose intolerant." Leonard brainstormed. Penny jumped up from the chair, yelling for anyone to come. The door opened quickly to a clearly disturbed police officer.

"What's wrong?" He asked in an alarmed tone.

"Check all of the hospitals!" Penny demanded. "Tell whoever you have to. I think I know where she is."


	5. Fruit Loops

The door burst open, revealing one of the officers. "We think we found your daughter." He said quietly. Leonard and Penny looked up from their spots on the bed, both taking huge sighs of relief.

"Where? Please, take us, we don't care!" Leonard pleaded.

"It wouldn't be safe. She's at Saint Mary's." He informed them.

"I don't care if it's not safe. Take us." Penny demanded. They both left their places, pushing the officer out of the way. "Take us to Saint Mary's. Protect us, do whatever, but we're going." She told Adam. Adam shook his head, clearly ready to say no.

"Alright, alright. I'll take you and Leonard." Adam decided.

* * *

"We're here to see Miranda Hoffstader." Penny told the receptionist. "We're her parents."

"Ok. She's in room 219." The receptionist told them, pointing in the direction of the room. "Go into the elevator on your right, then go down the hall to the left."

"Thank you so much!" Leonard thanked her, heading towards the doors on the right. The two practically ran into the room, so fast Adam was hardly able to catch up. Penny pushed open the door, looking around the room for Miranda.

"Who are you?" A nurse asked.

"We're Miranda Hoffstader's parents." Leonard told her. The nurse nodded.

"She's behind the curtain. But she is sleeping." The nurse informed them. The two tiptoed behind the curtain, with Adam following close behind. Penny didn't even try to hold back her tears when she tore away the curtain.

"I thought I'd never see her again." Penny whispered. She reached for Leonard's hand.

"I know. I know." Leonard agreed.

* * *

Penny woke up seven hours later, realizing she had fallen asleep on a chair, her head on Leonard's shoulder.

"Leonard, wake up." Penny said quietly, gently shaking him.

"Nothing, don't worry so much. It's already eight, she'll probably be up soon." Penny explained. Penny looked over at Miranda, only to burst into tears again.

"Penny, this isn't your fault." Leonard told her.

"If I wouldn't ha..." Penny argued, only to be interrupted.

"Penny, I know you're not going to listen to Leonard, so here. None of this is your fault. I know you think Leonard is just telling you these things to feel better, but trust me. He's telling the truth." Miranda told her. Penny looked around, but she couldn't find Miranda.

"I know, it just all started beca..." Penny continued.

"That wasn't your fault either. It never was, and it never will be." Leonard assured her. There were two knocks on the door. Bernadette and Howard entered the room.

"We're behind the curtain." Leonard greeted.

"Hey." Howard greeted carefully.

"It's ok, we know it's not your fault." Penny told them. The nervous tone in Howard's voice had gone. Miranda slowly sat up, seeming confused.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"In a hospital. We should be able to go home today." Leonard told her. He wasn't completely sure of that, but he wasn't about to tell Miranda they were going back to that hotel room.

"Did you guys come back from Hawaii already?" Miranda asked. Penny couldn't hide the confusion on her face, forgetting about the Hawaii lie they had told so Miranda wouldn't know about what happened five years ago. She didn't have to know about all the evil in the world.

"Yes." Penny informed her. The adults shared a knowing look. "Do you want some Fruit Loops?" Penny asked, changing the subject. She hated lying, especially to Miranda. Miranda squealed giddily, Penny took that as a yes. Penny pressed a Nurse call button, and a red headed nurse appeared a few minuets later.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked. Penny nodded.

"Fruit loops, and four coffees?" Penny asked the group. The three nodded vigorously. None of them had gotten any sleep recently. Adam burst into the room.

"Leonard, we need to talk. Now." He interrupted.


	6. Ten Minuets

"What's going on?" Penny asked, disobeying instructions and following Leonard and Adam into the hall. "I'm not leaving until you tell me."

"Penny go back in the room." Adam demanded. They could both tell from the tone of his voice something was deeply wrong.

"You know I'm not going to do that." Penny responded. "You should know me better by now." Adam took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead.

"Penny, do what he says." Leonard instructed.

"I am an adult, I can handle whatever you tell me. I'm not going away just say it." Penny ranted.

"Fine. You win. But I warned you." Adam said carefully. Leonard fought the urge to cover Penny's ears and start singing. "Andrew Rameriez is here. And he wants to come in. Along with his four friends." It took a moment for it to completely sink in what Adam was telling them. _Andrew didn't work alone. That's how he got out. _And worst of all _he's still targeting Miranda. _

"Oh my god." Penny mustered.

"What did I tell you?" Adam argued wearily. He knew it was no use.

"What are we going to do?" Leonard asked quietly.

"I talked to the nurse, Miranda can leave today. We're going to have to take you guys somewhere far away. Secretly." Adam told them. Penny couldn't help constantly checking over her shoulder. It took another minuet to sink in excatly what he meant, without saying it out loud. _Witness protection. _"I can't tell you guys exactly where you're going either. You're going to leave here in ten minuets, and go directly to a secret airport. They'll tell you your new names, I'm not sure if you're going to have to re name Miranda or not. Leave your phones in the car. You will be given new ones. Delete your social network accounts, all of them. Penny, they might dye your hair. A different color." Adam explained. "Go say goodbye." Leonard and Penny took a quick second to process what he had just said, holding back tears. "Oh and one last thing. No contacting anyone from your old life."

* * *

Those were the fastest ten minuets ever in either of their lives. They took Miranda's bag, the one Howard and Bernadette had brought. It was the only thing they had to remind them of their life in Pasadena. They were rushed into a windowless car with blacked out windows, even they didn't know their location, they only knew it had been about an hour, not that it mattered anymore. The man driving the car told them that their names would be Lilly and Ben Tyler. Miranda's name would be changed to Isabelle Tyler. Their hair was cut into something different, adding bangs to Miranda/ Isabelle, giving Leonard/ Ben a shorter cut, and dyeing Penny/ Lilly's hair back to its darker roots, and caramel highlights.

Penny hated changing Miranda's name more than anything. She felt like she was losing control. She was. She felt like she was abandoning Miranda, the teen she was named after.

They were told they would be living in Kansas City, where Leonard would work at another university, UMKC. The car finally came to a stop. Leonard and Penny did as they were told, handing their phones to the driver. They were given two new iPhones in return.

"No social networks." The driver instructed. Leonard and Penny agreed, as Penny picked up Miranda, and Leonard grabbed her back, and they boarded the plane to their new life.


	7. The Tylers

"Mommy, what's going on?" Miranda asked. Penny had been preparing herself for this for about 20 minuets now, while Miranda had been coloring.

"Well..." Penny started, looking over at Leonard for how to explain it. She wasn't about to tell her daughter about everything that had happened in the past few years. She was barely four! How would they explain that her name would be Isabelle from now on?

"Sometimes..." Leonard began.

"Why was that man calling me Isabelle?" Miranda asked.

"Well, that's your nickname." Penny explained. "But you can't tell anyone about your name being Miranda. It's a secret."

"Ok. Where are we going?" Miranda asked.

"We're going to a city named Kansas City. We're going to live there." Leonard jumped in.

"Are Uncle Howard and Aunt Bernadette coming too?" Miranda asked.

"No sweetie." Penny answered.

"What about Nina or Brooklyn? Or Uncle Raj? Or Aunt Amy and Uncle Sheldon?"

"I'm afraid not." Leonard told her. "Everything in our old town is a secret."

"Ok." Miranda responded.

* * *

"Welcome home, Mr and Mrs Tyler." The driver said, dropping them off at their new home.

"Wow! It's gorgeous!" Penny exclaimed. The three stepped out of the car, only carrying Miranda's bag and their new phones. They entered, letting Miranda run around. They were on their own now, and the realization hit suddenly. They didn't have Adam, or any of their friends anymore. They weren't even aloud to say hi to them. They would never see any of their friends again.

"Isabelle, do you want to check out your new room?" Penny encouraged. "Remember, that's your nickname now!"

"Sure!" Isabelle replied, running up the stairs.

"So." Penny said. "This is different."

"I would agree Lilly Tyler." Leonard told her.

"I don't like it." Penny admitted.

"I don't either, but at least all three of us are safe." Leonard agreed.

"That's right." Penny said. "Want to join me upstairs, Mr Tyler?"

"I would love to, Mrs Tyler." Leonard told her.


	8. Chapter 8

Alright Lovelies! I am going to take a short break from writing, because of school I'm just too busy most days, don't be worried if there is a week long gap between chapters, I'm just busy. Thanks so much, moihaha.


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